Child Care and Protection Policies

Child care and protection policies regulate the care of children, including the type of support and assistance to be offered, good practice guidelines for the implementation of services, standards for care, and adequate provisions for implementation. They relate to the care a child receives at and away from home.

States and all organisations with child care programmes should have child care policies which are in line with national legislation and international law, e.g. the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). In line with the CRC, emphasis should be placed on the child’s best interests, with support to families prioritised in order to prevent family separation. Good gatekeeping mechanisms are essential in ensuring families receive the services they need and are entitled to, and to guard against inappropriate placement into poor care arrangements.

Home-based care, day care, and other family support services are mechanisms for assisting families in providing for the child’s development and, when used appropriately, can prevent child separation. When a child is unable to remain at home, alternative forms of community based care should be prioritised, such as formal kinship care or foster care. The use of institutions should be highlighted as a last and temporary measure. All support and care provisions should outline the referral and admission process, the use of care plans, regular reviews, rehabilitation, and aftercare procedures.

Child protection legislation which recognises that abuse can be physical, emotional, sexual, or neglect, and may be carried out by parents, caretakers, children and other adults is required. All agencies working with children should have written child protection policies which respect the rights of the child. Policies should outline behaviours and actions which are unacceptable, provide standards for the appropriate care of children, and clear guidelines on what procedures to follow and by whom, including reporting mechanisms for suspected abuse to an assigned authority for investigation.

Child care and protection policies require resources and monitoring of standards to ensure their appropriate implementation. Adequate provision and training of child care and social work staff is required to deliver family support services and alternatives forms of child care. All staff working with children should be trained and supervised in providing appropriate care for children, identifying abuse, and responding appropriately.

The literature in this section contains country reports and examples of national and organisational child care and protection policies.

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Stability and Change in Institutional Alternative Care for Children in Israel and Japan

Michael Maher King, University of Oxford, 25 Aug 2014

This Masters thesis paper, by Michael Maher King of the University of Oxford, reviews the situations of children in institutional alternative care in Israel and Japan.

What neuroscience and social science tell us about the effect of care environments on children

Dr. Kathryn Whetten & Dr. Charles Nelson, Christian Alliance for Orphans, 24 Aug 2014

This video features a segment of a talk on the effects of care environments on children, hosted by the Christian Alliance for Orphans. The key speakers featured include Dr. Kathryn Whetten & Dr. Charles Nelson, who discuss the Positive Outcomes for Orphans study (POFO) and the Bucharest Early Intervention Project (BEIP), respectively.

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Alternative Care Assessment in 6 Countries (Kenya, Malawi, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe)

Better Care Network Forum , 20 Aug 2014

Assessment of the current status of Alternative Care Legislation, Standards and Practices and identified Gaps in six countries: Kenya, Malawi, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Meeting Report of the Regional Learning and Consultation Meeting: Strengthening Child Care Systems

Better Care Network, 19 Aug 2014

This report provides an overview of a two-day regional consultancy on strengthening child care systems in Eastern and Southern Africa.

Shaping the national social protection strategy in Cambodia: Global influence and national ownership

Huck-ju Kwon, Sarah Cook, Yusun Kim - Global Social Policy, 14 Aug 2014

This article analyses the interactions among global and national actors in the policy dynamics of Cambodia’s National Social Protection Strategy (NSPS); it is intended to disentangle the complex politics of global social policy at the national level.

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Child Protection System Strengthening: Mapping and Assessment Report - Federal Capital Territory (FCT)

Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, USAID, UNICEF, 01 Aug 2014

The main objective of the mapping and assessment is to identify the major gaps in the current child protection system in each state, which will provide the basis for specific suggestions on how to improve the existing child protection system at the state and LGA level.

Roadmap for the Implementation of the Guidelines on Kinship Care, Foster Care and Supported Independent Living in Liberia

Government of Liberia, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare - USAID, World Learning, Save the Children, Maestral International, 01 Aug 2014

This “roadmap” document outlines the recommended implementation strategies and activities for strengthening family- and community-based alternative care in Liberia. It accompanies the Guidelines on Kinship Care, Foster Care and Supported Independent Living (the Guidelines) and the Capacity Building Plan to Implement the Guidelines (CBP).

Plateau State Child Protection System Strengthening: Mapping and Assessment Report

Plateau State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, USAID, UNICEF, Intrahealth - CapacityPlus, Maestral International, 01 Aug 2014

The Federal Government in 2010 together with the Lagos State Government embarked on a pilot test to map and assess the existing components of Child Protection in Lagos and Child Frontiers was recruited to undertake the mapping and assessment.

Handbook on Juvenile Law in Zambia

Center for Law and Justice (Zambia), Cornell Law School - Avon Global Center for Women and Justice, & Cornell Law School - International Human Rights Clinic, 01 Aug 2014

This handbook offers a compendium of Zambian juvenile law, including the processing of juveniles in the criminal justice system.

Department of Social Welfare Capacity Building Plan to Implement The Guidelines for Children Without Appropriate Care: Rapid Context Assessment – Final Report

Maestral International - USAID, 22 Jul 2014

This Context Assessment, produced by Maestral International, aims to collect and review all relevant information to support the development of the Department of Social Welfare’s (DSW) institutional capacities to execute the new framework for alternative care in Liberia.